Letter Minister Marc Garneau MP- Towing Needs

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200 - 1627 Fort St., Victoria, BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone  (250) 405-5151    Fax  (250) 405-5155 
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 660-2421.  Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
Web  www.islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
July 18, 2019 File Number: 0400-20; 5020-30  
 
Via Email: mintc@tc.gc.ca 
 
The Honourable Marc Garneau 
Minister of Transport Canada 
330 Sparks Street 
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5 
 
Dear Minister Garneau: 
 
Re:  Recent feedback on West Coast Emergency Towing Needs Assessment and Protocol for the Use of 
Southern B.C. Anchorages 
 
On behalf of Islands Trust Council, I would like to express my support for the goals of the Government of 
Canada, through its Ocean Protection Plan (OPP), to create a world-leading marine safety system that 
strengthens responsible shipping and protects Canadian waters. Islands Trust appreciates the $1.5 billion 
investment, made to-date, to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways and the additional $63 million 
dedicated to the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness initiative and the Anchorages initiatives.  
 
The Anchorages initiative is of particular interest to the Islands Trust Council since the Trust Area has been 
and still is experiencing a significant number of vessels anchoring continuously in the Trust Area which is 
incompatible with the up land uses in the Trust Area. Many residents are concerned about the 
environmental and health impacts resulting from these anchored vessels including noise, light, dragging of 
anchors, and consequential potential pollutants as a result of the vessels being maintained and operational 
for extended periods of time. 
 
I have said in my comments, in the letters attached, with respect to the interim protocol that many 
residents are frustrated with the apparent lack of acknowledgement of the problem of vessels at anchor 
and at not receiving any feedback with respect to the conclusions or what has been learned to date. Ship’s 
masters continue to not understand the need to adhere to the protocol. This results in further complaints 
and feelings of frustration from residents because they have to contact the Port Authority every time a new 
vessel arrives but this contact does not seem to result in any change on the part of the vessel. 
 
The Islands Trust Council along with the United States, San Juan County Council has requested that a 
standby rescue tug be located in Sidney, British Columbia and that it be available to travel to Turn Point, off 
Stuart Island. Our two governments made this joint request because we share a belief that there is 
insufficient emergency towing capacity in the Salish Sea to meet the current or future risks associated with 
vessel traffic.  
 
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The Honourable Marc Garneau 
July 18, 2019 
Page 2 
 
 
 
The Islands Trust Council and the Government of Canada share a similar

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